15 September 2010

The SANZAR annual rugby competition has changed numbers from 10, 12, 14 and now — for the 2011 season — to 15. So finally someone decided to change the name to move away from the amount of teams in the competition. The use of numbers as a competitions name is only really seen in NCAA College sports in the US and that also has had some unique design problems (Big 10 having 11 now 12 teams).

Before I get into the logo design, the logo itself has to be able to work as a patch on a playing jersey, as logo on related ephemera and have room above to connect with each countries competition sponsor, like the previous. Which was designed by Australian studio Coast Design.

I was never a fan of the name Super 12 or 14, but Super Rugby seems worse at this current time. Colloquially — Super 15 is being used — so maybe the number of teams helps people remember the number of teams and connect it more with the history.

Now onto the logo design, there is not really a comparison between the new and the old. They seem 'worlds apart'. The Previous logo packed in everything; a rugby ball, the countries in the hemisphere the number 14 in your face twice all into a round emblem, that seemed like overkill. The new is clean and clear with a strong image. And at a time when sports logos seem to get the whole 9 yards (3D effect, shadows), the minimal design is a nice change.

The biggest let down is the type, the condensed Gothic characters are a good solid choice, but the application of these characters is were it goes wrong. The dropping of one 'R' in favour of enlarging the remaining, is not a choice that reads well. The changing of scale also confuses legibility.

But overall I like the logo change I probably could do without the gradient, but I imagine it just being the symbol on the sleeve of a red and black jersey with Richie lifting his ever tired trophy wielding arms. ;)